Iam Tongi

Last updated
Iam Tongi
Tongi rehearsal 120923.jpg
Tongi rehearsing before a concert
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Guy Tongi
Born (2004-09-01) September 1, 2004 (age 19)
Kahuku, Hawaii
Genres Reggae
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • acoustic guitar
  • ukulele
Years active2020–present

William "Iam" Guy Tongi (born September 1, 2004) [1] is a singer who won season 21 of American Idol . [2] He is the first person from Hawaii, the first Pacific Islander, and the first non-country singer in three years, to win the competition. He is also the first winner to have been born after the show's premiere on June 11, 2002. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Tongi is originally from Kahuku, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. [5] His family relocated to Federal Way, Washington in the summer of 2019, where he attended Federal Way High School, then later transferred and graduated from Decatur High School. [4] He is of Tongan, [6] Samoan and Irish descent. [4] Tongi is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [7]

The youngest of five children, Tongi learned to play the ukulele in fifth grade. When he was 13, his father gifted him a guitar that he had bought with his holiday paycheck. Tongi would go on to use the guitar in nearly all of his performances on American Idol. [8]

American Idol

Audition

Tongi auditioned for Season 20 of American Idol, but failed to get past the initial screening. [8] Without telling him, his mother then signed him up for the Season 21 auditions. Tongi, however, was reluctant to audition again, saying he had a bad attitude from the previous rejection and that he did not expect to advance beyond the audition round. This time, however, he was able to appear in front of Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, the show's judges. [9]

During the audition, Tongi talked about having to move to Washington because he was "priced out of paradise". When asked about his father, Tongi became teary-eyed, explaining that Rodney, his dad, had passed away a few months before the audition, and that Rodney was the one who got him into music. [10] Tongi had not originally planned to talk about his dad because he did not want his journey to be seen as a sob story. [11]

Tongi's audition, a rendition of James Blunt's song "Monsters", which he dedicated to his father, earned him a standing ovation from all three judges and a unanimous vote to the next round. [12] [13] The audition video quickly went viral, drawing 112,000 Instagram followers in the two days after Tongi's performance. Tongi's audition also became Idol's most-watched audition video on the show's YouTube channel, generating over 16 million views in three months. [10] [11]

Hollywood Week

Tongi's greatest challenge on American Idol came during Hollywood Week, when his guitar broke and he lost his voice. When Tongi appeared before the judges, he started crying, explaining that he had promised his dad he would use the guitar on every performance. [14] Tongi later said he felt like it was a way of his dad telling him he could do it on his own, and he would appear in later rounds without his guitar. [9]

Duet with James Blunt

During American Idol's season finale, Tongi teamed up with James Blunt to deliver an emotionally charged duet of Blunt's song "Monsters", the same song Tongi had used for his audition. The performance left both the judges and audience in tears. Tongi himself broke down part way through the song but eventually regained his composure and finished. He told Rolling Stone ,

"My dad always told me that I'm gonna make it one day and that he probably wouldn't be around to see me be successful. When I was on stage, I was crying because I was thinking about when he said that to me. He was hoping this for me since the beginning." [15]

Blunt said of the performance,

"I sang on American Idol with Iam Tongi, and actually he broke down in tears, and then you suddenly realize the desperation of that moment because poor him, his father had died. And really living that. And the poignancy in the next line is, ‘I’ll leave a light on, I’ll be the last one, and I’ll leave a light on / There’d be no darkness in your heart.’ [and] it’s a real moment where you can imagine the death of your closest relative, and it’s a really amazing moment to live it. In many ways, I think Iam and I really lived it on a stage together." [16]

Controversy

Tongi's win left Idol fans divided, with some praising him while others criticized the show, saying he won on sympathy alone. [17] Runner-up Megan Danielle defended Tongi, saying, "Iam was deserving and he's so humble and so talented." [18] Tongi meanwhile said he approached the announcement of the winner with an open mind: "I didn't expect to make it this far. No matter [who won], I was going to be happy." [9]

Legacy

Tongi's song choices during the competition included a remake of Hawaiian reggae group Kolohe Kai's song "Cool Down", which he performed during the finale. Hawaii recording artists and producers alike praised Tongi for bringing island music to a national stage. Roman De Peralta, Kolohe Kai's frontman, said:

"[The American Idol audience is] a demographic that we don't really get to share our culture, our island vibes with. I feel like [Tongi's song choices] really paved a beautiful way for us as artists to be in front of people we really never got to." [19]

Native Hawaiian recording artist Kimie Miner added:

"We don't see a lot of people like us being marketed in mainstream music. So what Iam was able to do by being on [American Idol] and having this platform is he showed everybody that there's a big desire for the kind of music we have here. It showed the world how AAPI artists are equally competitive in this music industry while we're still being true to our culture, representing our island life, heritage, and 'ohana." [20]

Tongi said he was grateful to be able to showcase the genre to Idol viewers:

"I wanted to represent the islands, and represent where I'm from, people in Hawaii... I just wanted to put island music on the map because island music is so beautiful, but a lot of people don't really know about it, only islanders." [20] [21]

Tongi also said he hopes his journey encourages other Polynesians to pursue careers in music:

"A lot of Polynesians are way better than me and they’re just too scared to do stuff like this. It’s just the Polynesian way: you don’t want to embarrass yourself. There’s a lot of pride in our culture. We don’t want to look dumb or anything so we just tried to just stick to our own lane.” [15]

Career

Before appearing on American Idol , Tongi released a single, "Dreams", which he wrote for his sister's wedding in 2020. Other pre-Idol singles included a cover of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" and another original single, "Gone". [22]

A few days prior to Idol's season finale, Tongi released the single "I'll Be Seeing You". [23] The song reached No. 3 on Billboard's Digital Song Sales and No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, from 11,000 downloads. [24]

Tongi credits Hawaii-born singer Jack Johnson for mentoring him and helping him navigate the music industry. He also credits his family with keeping him grounded in the face of fame. Tongi says the biggest lesson he has learned since winning the competition is to "Be yourself. Don’t let people push you or try to mold you into another person." [25]

Post-Idol highlights

Shortly after winning Idol, Tongi embarked on a tour that saw him reunite with fellow contestant Oliver Steele, who finished in the Top 8 and with whom Tongi formed a special bond during the competition. [26] During the tour, while both Tongi and Steele were on Oahu, a local guitar maker gifted the duo custom made, matching ukuleles to symbolize their friendship. [27]

On July 1, 2023, at a concert at the Turtle Bay Resort, Tongi surprised the audience by inviting Roman De Peralta from Kolohe Kai to join him on stage to perform "Cool Down", the same song he showcased on Idol. The concert was their first time performing the song together. De Peralta said afterward, "He's coming home after an epic win, and I texted him, are you going to jam 'Cool Down' tomorrow? And he said yeah, and I said, ‘Can I join?’ and he was really stoked. I am honored to be here." [28]

On July 10, 2023, Tongi sang the national anthem at the 2023 Home Run Derby, but forgot to remove the baseball cap he was wearing before he sang. Tongi apologized on social media, attributing the faux pas to being nervous performing in front of such a large crowd. [29]

On August 12, 2023, Tongi released an Instagram video honoring the victims of the 2023 Maui wildfires. Encouraging his fans to donate, and expressing his love and support for the people of Maui, he sang a cover of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Starting All Over Again". [30]

On August 25, 2023, Tongi released a studio version of his duet with James Blunt of Blunt's song "Monsters". Tongi wrote on social media, "From covering it on TikTok 3 years ago to singing it in my audition on @americanidol, to performing it at the Idol finale with @jamesblunt , “Monsters” means so much to me." [16]

On September 22, 2023, Tongi released another original single, "Why Kiki?" followed by his first holiday EP, "An Iam Tongi Christmas", which included his versions of "White Christmas", "The Christmas Song", and "Mele Kalikimaka". [31]

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsSales
US
Digital
[24] 		US
Rock
[24] 		US
Rock Digital
[24] 		US
World
[32]
"I'll Be Seeing You"20233191—
"The Winner Takes It All"——19—
"Why Kiki?"———1
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Official website

Related Research Articles

<i>American Idol</i> American singing competition

American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on ABC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Studdard</span> American singer

Ruben Studdard is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of American Idol and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of "Superstar". In the years following Idol, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful, and the top-selling gospel follow-up, I Need an Angel. He is most well known for his recording career, which has produced hits including "Flying Without Wings", "Sorry 2004", and "Change Me", but he has also segued into television and stage work. Most notably, he starred as Fats Waller in a national tour revival of Ain't Misbehavin', which spawned a Grammy-nominated soundtrack.

The American singing competition show American Idol has generated controversy over the years in numerous areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Daughtry</span> American musician and American Idol contestant

Christopher Adam Daughtry is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of American Idol. Released by RCA Records, Daughtry's self-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history, selling more than one million copies within five weeks of release, and music's top-selling album of 2007. The album was recorded before the band was officially formed, making him the only official member present on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Phillips</span> American singer-songwriter and musician

Phillip LaDon Phillips Jr. is an American musician and singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the eleventh season of American Idol in 2012. His coronation song, "Home", became the best-selling song in American Idol history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sligh</span> Musical artist

Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer, songwriter, producer and pastor who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place. He has released 14 albums since 2001 as a solo artist, with his band Half Past Forever or with his former church's musical entity, Shoreline Music. He also starred in October Baby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Richardson</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1984)

Christopher Michael Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Archuleta</span> Musical artist

David James Archuleta is an American pop singer. At ten years old, he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition, leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years old, he became the Junior Vocal Champion on the second season of Star Search, known as "Star Search 2". In 2008, he finished second on the seventh season of American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Joy</span> American singer-songwriter

Megan Joy, formerly known as Megan Joy Corkrey, is an American singer-songwriter and actress from Sandy, Utah, who was the ninth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Joy released her debut album, Megan Joy, on April 25, 2012. She fronts classical folk project, Bloody Cabaret, and indie rock band, VadaWave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't You Wanna Stay</span> 2010 single by Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson

"Don't You Wanna Stay" is a duet recorded by American singers Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. It was written by Andy Gibson, Paul Jenkins, and Jason Sellers. It was released as the second single from Aldean's fourth studio album My Kinda Party, following Aldean's and Clarkson's performance on the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards on November 10, 2010, due to strong demands of radio stations, and was also included on the deluxe edition of Clarkson's fifth studio album Stronger (2011). The song contains elements of country and pop, and its lyrics speak of the difficulties of finding and maintaining love.

The eleventh season of American Idol premiered on Fox on January 18, 2012, and concluded on May 23, 2012. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler all returned as judges. Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, also returned as an in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. This season followed the same format as the tenth season. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both announced that they would be leaving the show two months after the finale, although Lopez later returned as a judge for the show's thirteenth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Ledet</span> American singer

Joshua Ledet is an American singer from Westlake, Louisiana. In 2012 he placed third in the eleventh season of American Idol. He is known for his "soaring, church-bred brand of old school soul music." In 2017, he released a self-titled EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex & Sierra</span> American pop duo

Alex & Sierra were an American duo consisting of Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton, who won the third and final season of The X Factor US. They were mentored by Simon Cowell. Their debut album It's About Us was released on October 7, 2014, on Columbia Records. Their EP As Seen on TV was released on September 30, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Fradiani</span> American singer

Nicholas James Fradiani IV is an American singer from Guilford, Connecticut. He rose to regional attention as the lead singer of pop/rock band Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. He gained national recognition in 2014 when he competed on the ninth season of the reality talent show America's Got Talent, although he only made it to "Judgment Week".

Clark Beckham is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He finished as the runner-up on the fourteenth season of American Idol.

Alejandro Aranda, known by his stage name Scarypoolparty, is an American singer and musician, who was runner-up on the seventeenth season of American Idol. His debut album, Exit Form, was released on November 22, 2019. His second album, Doom Hologram, was released on September 4, 2020. His first EP, L.A., was released in 2021. Alejandro's third album, The Act of Forgiveness, was released in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laine Hardy</span> Musical artist

Laine Hardy is an American singer from Livingston, Louisiana, and the seventeenth season winner of American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame (Laine Hardy song)</span> 2019 song performed by Laine Hardy

"Flame" is a single and coronation song from the American Idol seventeenth season winner Laine Hardy. The song was written by Jon Levine and Ester Dean. Hardy performed the song after he was announced the winner in the finale. The song was released following his win on May 19, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monsters (James Blunt song)</span> Song by James Blunt

"Monsters" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Amy Wadge and Jimmy Hogarth for Blunt's sixth studio album, Once Upon a Mind (2019). It was released as the fourth single from the album on 1 November 2019.

Dibesh Pokharel, known by his stage name Arthur Gunn, is a Nepalese-born American singer-songwriter from Wichita, Kansas, who came to national attention in 2020 as the runner-up finalist on the eighteenth season of the singing reality show American Idol. He started singing in 2014 and is known for his "textured, sandpapery" vocals. He released his eight-song debut album, Grahan, in early 2018. He released another album, KHOJ, in 2019 with singles including "Ma," "Khoj" and "Karnali ."

References

  1. ↑ "American Idol: Who Is Iam Tongi? Where Does Iam Tongi Live Now?". AverageBeing. 23 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  2. ↑ Lee, Diane S. W. (May 21, 2023). "Kahuku-born Iam Tongi crowned American Idol winner". Honolulu Star-Advertiser . Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  3. ↑ Chery, Samantha (March 23, 2023). "Genre-bending high schooler from Hawaii makes 'American Idol' history". The Washington Post.
  4. 1 2 3 "Who is Iam Tongi? 5 facts about the Season 21 'American Idol' winner". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  5. ↑ "'American Idol' Winner Iam Tongi Jokes His Family Keeps Him Humble: 'They Don't Only Cheer for Me'". People. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  6. ↑ "Iam Tongi named New American Idol Champion". Matangi Tonga. 22 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  7. ↑ "His 'American Idol' audition went viral. Now, this teen is the Season 21 winner". Deseret News. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  8. 1 2 Bronson, Fred (2023-04-30). "Meet 2023's American Idol Top 10 Contestants". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  9. 1 2 3 Houghton, Cillea (26 May 2023). "American Idol Winner Iam Tongi Opens Up About His Father's Impact and Wanting to "Represent My People" in Music". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  10. 1 2 Sienra, Regina (2023-05-23). "Iam Tongi Wins American Idol Following an Emotional Duet of "Monsters" With James Blunt". biography.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  11. 1 2 Piccotti, Tyler (2023-05-22). "How Iam Tongi's Late Father Influenced the American Idol Winner During the Competition". biography.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  12. ↑ Fishman, Scott (2023-05-22). "American Idol Winner Iam Tongi Speaks Out on His Journey & Honoring His Late Dad". TV Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  13. ↑ Houghton, Cillea (20 February 2023). "Iam Tongi Hits a Nerve with American Idol Audition Dedicated to His Late Father". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  14. ↑ "Iam Tongi, 18, credits his mom and late dad for his American Idol win". npr.org. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  15. 1 2 Mier, Tomás (2023-05-23). "American Idol Winner Iam Tongi on How He Brought the Judges to Tears". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  16. 1 2 Lorge, Melinda (2023-08-25). ""'American Idol' Winner Iam Tongi And James Blunt Share Full-Circle Moment With Release Of New Duet"". musicmayhem.com. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  17. ↑ Hobbs, Jack (2023-05-22). "American Idol fans claim competition 'rigged' as Iam Tongi named winner". New York Post. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  18. ↑ Barbuti, Angela (2023-05-27). "American Idol runner-up Megan Danielle breaks silence on claims show was 'rigged' for Iam Tongi". New York Post.
  19. ↑ Tamashiro, Kristy (2003-05-22). "Iam Tongi puts island music on the map with 'American Idol' win". khon2.com. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  20. 1 2 Ordonio, Cassie (2023-05-31). "Here's what Iam Tongi's win means for Pacific Islander musicians". hawaiipublicradio.org. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  21. ↑ Kaholokula, Lei U'i (2023-05-25). "Iam Tongi reflects on his American Idol journey -- and his music career dreams". kitv.com. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  22. ↑ "Iam Tongi Soars to Number One With His New Song". 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  23. ↑ Goldstein, Tiffany (2023-05-22). "'American Idol' Winner Iam Tongi, James Blunt Deliver Tearful "Monsters" Duet". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zellner, Xander (May 31, 2023). "10 First-Timers on Billboard's Charts This Week: Ella Langley, Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle & More". Billboard.
  25. ↑ Lane, Liv (2023-07-06). "Celeb Helping 'Idol' Winner Iam Tongi Navigate 'Tough Business". heavy.com. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  26. ↑ Lane, Liv (2023-07-02). "'American Idol' Besties Iam Tongi & Oliver Steele Reunite Onstage" . Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  27. ↑ Miyashima, Mika (2023-07-05). "American Idol besties Iam Tongi, Oliver Steele gifted custom ukuleles". kitv.com. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  28. ↑ Dowd, Eddie (2023-07-02). "Thousands flock to see Hawaii's American Idol Iam Tongi in concert". hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  29. ↑ O'Connell, Madeline (2023-07-11). "'American Idol' Winner Iam Tongi Reveals Why He Didn't Remove His Hat Before Singing The National Anthem At Home Run Derby". countrynow.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  30. ↑ Lorge, Melinda (2023-08-14). ""'American Idol' Winner Iam Tongi Honors Maui Wildfire Victims With Heartfelt Performance: "You're Always In My Prayers"". musicmayhem.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  31. ↑ ""American Idol" Stars Megan Danielle and Iam Tongi to Reunite for Special Concert in Hawaii". 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  32. ↑ "World Digital Song Sales: Week of April 20, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.